Freeway & Jake One – The Beat Made Me Do It (Don Cannon) [click to download]
It’s almost always enjoyable to see major label emcees adopt a sort of indie indie mentality. Philadelphia Freeway was part of the storied Roc-A-Fella franchise, but after his joint project between the Roc and G-Unit didn’t go as planned, he seemingly poured all that he had into his music instead of scrambling for a new deal. Now, Freeway is working on Stimulus Package, an album produced by Seattle beatsmith Jake One in the works for Rhymesayers Records—and as shown by The Beat Made Me Do It, it’s a match made in heaven. Jake One’s soulful soundbeds are right at home with Freeway’s previous collaborations with Kanye West and Just Blaze. Every song here is a heater, but highlights include the cocky “Love,” the cautious hustling of “Someone Knocking,” and the fun, ’80s-styled “Heart Throbs.” Still, “Feet On The Ground” serves as perhaps the disc’s definitive song, as it conveys how Freeway hustles for self instead of depending on others. With a potentially incredible album in the lab and a promising new partnership with Lil Wayne’s Young Money reportedly getting finalized, Freeway seems ready to come back in a major way.
Pill – 4075: The Refill
(The Empire & DJ Skee)
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Many may know Pill as a Killer Mike protégé or a partner-in-rhyme to fellow newcomer Freddie Gibbs, but 4075: The Refill sees the Atlanta emcee making a name for himself. With cosigns from The Empire and DJ Skee in tow, Pill backs dexterous rhymes and an agile flow with charisma that enhances without distracting. Original songs like “Pain In They Eyes” and “Glass” show the psychological woes of drug dealing, and remakes of songs like “Mind’s Playin’ Tricks On Me” are flawlessly executed. Meanwhile, “Music” and odes to Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac don’t elaborately chronicle others’ careers, but it shows the two legends’ impact on Pill’s music. 4075: The Refill is a hell of a debut, and Pill seems to be one of Rap’s (and Asylum Records’) most promising new voices.
Lil Wayne – No Ceilings
Before taking over the Rap and entertainment industries, Lil Wayne took over the mixtape circuit to make listeners recognize his lyrical growth since The Hot Boys. And despite the disappointing Gangsta Grillz: Dedication 3, this fall’s No Ceilings sees a reportedly syrup-less Weezy showing that he can still hang in the forum that rejuvenated his career. His scattered flow and whimsical, digressive rhymes serve as capable substitutes for the likes of F.L.Y. and Dorough and Gucci Mane on “Swag Surf” and “Wasted,” and minimal guest spots keep the focus on Wayne. With Rebirth pegged as a Rock & Roll project and the Young Money compilation serving as a crew showcase, No Ceilings may be some of the most rapping that we see Wayne do for a while. Thankfully, this mixtape has got legs to stay in rotation.
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Lupe Fiasco – Enemy of the State
Freddie Gibbs – The Label’s Tryin To Kill Me! (DJ Skee & SmokingSection.net) [click to download]
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Freddie Gibbs’ honest lyrics and acrobatic flows on the incredible midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik pegged him as one of the most intriguing emcees of the year. So to chronicle Gibbs career highlights in preparation of the new decade, Smoking Section and DJ Skee put together The Label’s Tryin To Kill Me!, a compilation of 80—that’s not a typo—freestyles, standout verses, and unreleased songs from his discography. With such an extensive tracklist, there’s not much missed here: highlights from both his most recent tape and his previous The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs are here, along with a slew of other offerings that showcase his versatile skill set. Hopefully, labels embrace him in 2010 instead of doing what this mixtape’s title implies.
eLZhi – The Leftovers Unmixedtape [click to download]
Detroit emcee eLZhi feels the peoples’ pain. He pushed his Europass tour CD and The Preface album in 2008, but fans were expecting this year to bring Slum Village’s Villa Manifesto LP, eLmatic, eLZhi’s mixtape of remakes over instrumentals from Nas’ Illmatic. But in the meantime, The Leftovers Unmixedtape—a compilation of rare and unreleased eLZhi records—will do just fine. Aside from some of the songs being familiar or poorly mixed, this is golden. Capable braggadocio (“Deep”), girl songs (“Living”), and conceptual gems (“More Colors” and “Red, Black and Green,” the latter of which grimly flips the African pride colors), are all here. Additionally, eLZhi’s multi-dimensional lyricism is laid over melodic, percussive beats by the likes of Black Milk, Oh No and Jake One to boot. If these are eLZhi’s extras, 2010 should be an exciting year.
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Young Dro – R.I.P. Mixtape(I Killed That Shit) (Don Cannon) [click to download]
Young Dro’s mixtape with Don Cannon may have went under the radar because of delays and a different leak, but don’t let tardiness prevent from its enjoyment. The Grand Hustle emcee’s redeeming qualities—a slurred yet nimble flow, hilarious personality, and a great ear for production—are all displayed here, and they work well with Don Cannon’s hosting and mixing. There’s not much original in terms of content here: song titles like “Paint Job,” “Gimme Back My Swag” and “We Like Purp” are self-explanatory, and aside from his surprising offering with T.I. and Mac Boney over Biggie’s “Mo Money Mo Problems,” the previously used instrumentals are predictable. But R.I.P. Mixtape knocks, and it’s sure to cause a few laughs along the way.
De La Soul – 20 Years – Le Da Soul (Mick Boogie & Terry Urban)
Sometime during the past few years, something inexplicable happened: aside from the infinite amount of J Dilla remakes and freestyles, for the most part, tribute projects actually began to be dope. Mick Boogie’s new project with De La Soul chronicles the Long Island trio’s illustrious 20-year career in style. Previous collaborators (Talib Kweli), artists that are obviously influenced by the crew (Tanya Morgan, Fly Union), a curveball or two (Chip Tha Ripper), and aptly-picked producers do justice by keeping the essence of De La’s songs intact, while still adding an interesting twist of their own to show that the legacy of Plugs One, Two and Three is as historic as it is current.
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Trina – Miss 305 (DJ Pain 1 & Peter Parker)
She’s had duds and hits, but one thing’s for certain: Trina has carved her niche, and she satisfies her fan base. That being said, Miss 305 shouldn’t disappoint any loyalists of the self-proclaimed “Baddest Bitch.” The disc embodies the sides of Trina’s career: “Wetter” captures the signature raunch seen in her debut’s album cover, new single “My Attitude” sees her boasting baller status and men’s obsession with her, and “Who’s Bad” feature rhymes designed to empower her female listeners. Songs like the latter seem to be the most engaging, as she looks to hold women accountable for themselves instead of the usual argument of men objectifying them. Cameos like “5 Star Chick” are welcome additions as well. Miss 305 won’t convert any Trina naysayers, but it’s sure to satisfy her fans.
Emilio Rojas – The Natural (DJ Green Lantern) [click to download]
Going into this review, this writer admittedly had only heard of DXnext alum Emilio Rojas by name. But by the end of track No. 2, “Piano Bounce,” I was convinced. Over tense pianos by DJ Green Lantern himself, Rojas spews honest rhymes about his childhood: “The product of a broken home, I’m seeing women like a drug, ‘cause I saw my father strung out on that pussy till he overdosed…I lost my heritage the day I saw my parents split / abandoning their marriage, Daddy stayin’ in the Sheridan/no speaking Spanish anymore, ‘cause it’s embarrassing to carry the tradition of a man that didn’t carry his.” While this and the female-friendly “Only Just Begun” are highlights, this entire Green Lantern-hosted mixtape is solid. With an effortless flow, complex rhyme schemes and introspective lyrics, the title of Emilio Rojas’ mixtape, The Natural, is fitting.
